Currents at University of Northern Colorado

Seven artists channel Native American legacyGreeley and northern Colorado have a rich link to Native American history. A new exhibit at the University of Northern Colorado features the work of seven contemporary artists who explore Native American legacies in wildly differing ways.

“Currents: Native American Forces in Contemporary Art” opens Jan. 11 and will be on display through Feb. 17 at UNC's Mariani Gallery in Guggenheim Hall and Oak Room Gallery in Crabbe Hall.And:Artists featured in the exhibit include Norman Akers, Nicholas Galanin, Jeffrey Gibson, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Marie Watt, Will Wilson and Melanie Yazzie. Their works present a broad landscape, from Akers' surreal oil paintings that conjure up the mysticism of the ancient people to Wilson's deliberate counter-narrative to romantic visions of Native people in his photographic series, “Auto Immune Response,” depicting a postapocalyptic future.

“A common thread, however, is found in the exploration of cultural identity, traversing between native heritages and life in the 21st century,” a release describing the exhibit said. “These artists neither exist nor create art in the vacuum of a singular society, but flow through the many influences of contemporary life and art.” The exhibit is part of Voices of the Americas, a collaboration of UNC and the community.Comment:  For a related exhibit, see IN/SIGHT 2010 at Chelsea Art Museum.

Below:  Threshold (2007) by Oregon artist Marie Watt. Superficially it looks like Indian ribbons in a target, an obvious but interesting theme. I'm sure it has more levels of meaning, but I don't know what they are.